Just a generation ago the Stour was in a sad state. Heavy pollution had taken its toll and turned it into a virtually lifeless river.

For years the Stour was famous not for its wildlife but for the rainbow-coloured dyes that flowed into it from the local carpet manufacturing units. The pesticides used for moth-proofing carpets also wiped out many of the water-borne bugs that fish depend on for food. Urbanisation and an out of date sewage system didn’t help the pollution problem. The Environment Agency worked alongside Wyre Forest District Council, Severn Trent Water, the Wildlife Trust and retailers to transform the Stour into a river that is healthy for wildlife as well as the local economy.

Water quality has improved so much in the river that wildlife, such as salmon and otters, have returned. Otters have even been spotted in the centre of Kidderminster.

Spotted Lake can be spotted from Highway 3, 8.8 kms (5.5 miles) west of Osoyoos. It is a rare natural phenomenon covering 15.2 hectares (38 acres), containing one of the world's highest concentrations of minerals: magnesium sulfate (epsom salts), calcium and sodium sulfates, plus eight other minerals and traces of four more, including silver and titanium. As the summer progresses the lake dries out, its mud forming into white, pale yellow, green and blue circles depending on its mineral composition.

Known as Kliluk to the natives of the Okanagan Valley, the lake is a sacred and culturally significant site whose potential for commercial exploitation recently generated much controversy.